Preacher’s Pulpit
God’s Salvation
TEXT: John 3:16
Introduction:
This verse has rightly been called:
“The golden text of the Bible.”
“The Hub of the Bible.”
“The miniature Bible”
“The Gospel in a nutshell.”
“The complete message of salvation.”
The power in this verse can been seen in a reported revival that the preacher used this verse every night for 10 services; and at the end of a great meeting said, “I could easily preach ten more messages from this great verse.”
We can say, “Almost every major doctrine of the Bible can be found in this one great verse.”
But today, God being our helper we shall look at but one of the doctrines.
That doctrine being, “Salvation!”
Notice with me:
I. THE CAUSE OF SALVATION
(John 3:16a) “For God so loved the world,”
A. God’s LOVE is the cause of Salvation.
B. God was under no obligation to provide Salvation after man fell in the garden.
C. There was nothing found in man after the fall that would merit Salvation.
(Rom 3:23) “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
D. God knew exactly what man was and what he would do, but God loved him anyway!
(Rom 5:8) “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
E. God’s love can be seen in what Peter says:
(2 Pet 3:9) “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
F. The cause is God’s love and not man’s worth that provides salvation for all who believe.
II. THE COST OF SALVATION
(John 3:16b) “. . . that he gave his only begotten Son,”
A. All God had to do to make the world was to speak and it was done.
(Heb 11:3) “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”
B. But in order to provide SALVATION, He had to give His only begotten Son!
C. Jesus died because God is HOLY!
D. He cannot allow Sin to go unpunished.
(Rom 6:23) “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
E. Therefore, Jesus died in our place as our substitute when we accept Him as personal savior.
(Isa 53:4-6) “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. {5}But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. {6}All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
F. In Christ’s death, burial and resurrection God’s justice and righteous demands were fully meet.
(2 Cor 5:21) “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
III. THE CONDITION OF SALVATION
(John 3:16c) “. . . that whosoever believeth in him should not perish.”
A. The greatest miracle of all takes place when we believe in the finish work of Christ!
(Rom 10:9-10) “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. {10}For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
B. All of our sin and its penalty are taken from us and placed upon Christ as our Lamb that taketh away sin.
(Rom 10:13) “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
C. Salvation is not a work of man, but the Grace of God!
(Rom 4:5) “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
(Eph 2:8-9) “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: {9}Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
D. We believe and He SAVES! That’s all folks!
IV. THE CONSEQUENCES OF SALVATION
(John 3:16) “but have everlasting life.”
A. Notice present tense and what kind of life? Everlasting Life!
(1 John 3:2) “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”
B. Heirs with God and joint-heirs with Christ
(Rom 8:17) “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
C. Heaven as our home!
(Rev 21:2) “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”
CONCLUSION: Christ sends none away empty, but those that are full of themselves. If Christ is the only way and He is, why would you waste time traveling some other way? Come and be SAVED today! If Christ stays, sin goes, if sin stays Christ goes! It’s your choice today. Which way will it be? Christ or Sin!